Gauge Ear Piercings

[Eclipse GSX 61]

Alright before people start flaming I'm looking for very small gauges as in 18 gauge. I don't really plan on gauging or stretching at this point but does anybody know where to get ahold of some 18 gauge piercings? I'm aware this is the average piercing size, but I'm looking for some of the double circle with the bar in the center and the hole in the center of the bar if that makes any sense. I've been looking all over and I've only found 16 gauge, but I also have some regular piercing I'd like to wear on occassion.

[Renegade_]

Just get pierced at 14, 18 is like.... weak. They usually use that for nose piercings as far as I know...

Getting your ear pierced at 16 isnt a big deal really. The way you can get the double circle earring effect is to jam 2 14 gauges in after it settles.

And I have no idea what your talking about with that earring design... link it brah

[420sx]

Get it peirced at an 18, and let it heal. Once it heals, use your fingers to pinch above the earring, effectively pushing it down and stretching the hole. The difference from 16 to 18 is almost nothing, you can make that stretch without even prepping your lobe. Ive gone from an 18 to a 14 before, its not really a big deal. Once you get to 12 you cant really skip sizes, but 18 to 16 is no problem at all- i doubt youll even be able to tell the difference with the earrings out. I also had mine down to a 10 gauge and have since let my holes close, and the scarring is no worse than anyone else with peircings that they let close. Had I gone much lower, there may have been some more scarring. And i also have no idea what kind of earring youre trying to find. Hot topic?

Edit: I see you want to keep it 18 so you can still wear your other earrings. I believe regular earrings are a 20 actually. Regardless, just go to a 16. Your 18's will look fine with a hold gauged to 16, the difference wont be noticable. It depends on the person whether or not your holes will stay 16 while wearing 18's, or if theyll close back up. Some people can take their earrings out for weeks without them closing up. I had mine peirced for about 6 years, and took them out and they closed in about two days. So worst case scenario, you gauge to a 16, put your 18's back in, and they close back up to 18, and youll have to re-stretch when you want to put in the 16. 18 to 16 is such a small jump, i doubt youll even need more than a day for it to be completely healed.

[97TurboDSM]

spencers.

[3rdGenMr2Girl]

spencers or hot topic usually have those types of earrings. however, they may be hard to find for less than a 14g.

[2001teg]

KOP mall outside of pac sun. There is a decent place to but piercings/gauges. Decently priced too.

[EKLIPZGSX97]

I think Average piercing is between 18-20 ga. Hot topic has tapers that go all the way or I think I even have some of my old stuff if you want that. (It's clean obviously)

I'm down to a 6 and it's not that bad at all. If you're gonna do it, make it noticeable, as in at least a 10 or 8 ga. It's still nice looking at that point and it'll still close over time if you take it out

[Eclipse GSX 61]

Obviously this is larger but this is the style of earring I was trying to hunt down. Basically it had the hole and also have a thin strip of silver around the outside of it that would just sit on the front of the ear. It wasn't a plug.

http://thm-a02.yimg.com/nimage/4ffccadd948b1070

I found a place that had them in 16G but they only had one left and weren't sure if more were coming in.

[3rdGenMr2Girl]

if they have them in a 14 and you like them, just stretch your ears to a 14. it's still small and won't be super painful.

[Snoozie]

I really doubt you'll be able to find them in an 18g. Just put 16g in, it's not a big deal and with a little lube, I'm sure they'll slip right in. (:lol:)

As far as I know, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but any regular piercing is done with an 18g.

Pretty much, man up and go bigger. :wink:


P.s. the style of earring you are looking for is called a tunnel.

16g
http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/item/25394

[Snoozie]

Oh and I had my ears streched to 4g. I took them out because my skin is too sensative and I kept getting infections. I wear 18g diamond studs every day without issue. I wouldn't worry about not being able to switch between 16g's and 18g's.

[03MSP]

yea i had mine down to 0's and they closed up pretty well.. i think i can still fit 12 gauges though..

[Elliott18t]

http://www.kingsbodyjewelry.com/

try there..

I got my GFs plugs there. nice quality.

[97TurboDSM]

i used to switch from 14g hoops to regular 18g hoops and when they 18's went in it felt pretty weird. lol, was fun to swing them around

[C-bass]

you should probably go big or go home id do it but im scared.

[Eclipse GSX 61]

I really doubt you'll be able to find them in an 18g. Just put 16g in, it's not a big deal and with a little lube, I'm sure they'll slip right in. (:lol:)

As far as I know, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but any regular piercing is done with an 18g.

Pretty much, man up and go bigger. :wink:


P.s. the style of earring you are looking for is called a tunnel.

16g
http://www.bodycandy.com/cgi-bin/item/25394

THANKS. I was trying to find the damn technical term for it haha.

[05suby]

Just go bigger lol. I had 10g in before and didn't hurt. I was going to go bigger but just never got around to it.

[Eclipse GSX 61]

Just go bigger lol. I had 10g in before and didn't hurt. I was going to go bigger but just never got around to it.

I just found a pack of black tunnels online with. 16G, 14G, 12G, 10G, 8G, 6G, 4G for like $14 so I might nab it.

[wheeble]

sweet

now you can look like this guy

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Lha5ZA1hS0A/SvhvU9MYPnI/AAAAAAAAAZI/OvJKcm_d3_E/s400/Nose-Gauging.jpg

[CHR!S]

i had my ears pierced with a 10g needle. stretched them down to a 0g, let them close up (ended up closing to about an 8g)

www.bodyartforms.com always seems to have a good selection of earrings/plugs/etc... thats where i bought the majority of my tapers/plugs from. i do know that they make large backer-piece thingies for traditional earrings (the thing that goes on the back) for people with larger holes

[Dustin]

Ebay is the way to go.
I've bought all my plugs off ebay for the past like 3 years. My ears are stretched to 11/16" though so it's just a little bigger than 18g :lol:

but yeah you can't go wrong with $8 shipped pairs of plugs.

[Foolinaround]

The size you get pierced at is also going to affect what you eventually return to when you shrink down,barring you do it the right way by slowly going down gauge sizes and rubbing fish oil on your lobes to increase elasticity.

Ive been at 2's for a while and im about to try and stick my 0's in.

Up until about a 6 i never used a taper i just played with em a lot and they stretched out.

Ive only used tunnels as well,because im always doing something and i kept loosing earrings that were just rubber banded on.

[Ender81]

I have two 14s and two 12s and getting pierced at those sizes is really no big deal, especially in the lower lobe away from the harder cartelidge (sp?).

[99SL2_Modder]

I used pinchers to get down to a 4g.

I went to get plugs/tunnels (same thing) and they were 2g. The dude at the shop used a taper and tapered my ears to do it. Was much faster than me doing my own stretches.

Honestly, you can skip down from an 18g to a 14g without an issue. The difference is next to nil. Tunnels for an 18g are rare, if they even make them. The smallest I've seen is maybe a 12.

*edit*
3 lobes were pierced at 18g. Most piercing standards are 18g.

I have currently, 2 2g tunnels, a 14g left lobe above the left tunnel, and a 14g industrial in my right cart.

[Eclipse GSX 61]

Alright so I purchased some 16G tunnels online tonight since I couldn't find any/any ones that I liked in stores. Do I need to get a taper to get it to fit or could I squeeze it in my standard piercing?

[Foolinaround]

what size is your standard piercing 20? if so yes youll have to taper.

Also,this thread convinced me to try and squeeze my 0's in.

[Eclipse GSX 61]

I think they may be 18's idk though.

[Foolinaround]

Well,lube the bad boys up and try,but its prolly gonna hurt for a little bit.

[05suby]

i would agree that its prob 18g. 16 you shouldnt feel anything. i got pierced at 12g and then had a 10 shoved in and it only stung a little. im back at 12 though.

[99SL2_Modder]

Standard lobes are 18g.

18 to 16 is so small of a change, you most likely will not feel anything, unless your piercings are new. You should leave new piercings alone for about 1.5 months or so. Stretches should be spaced out at a MINIMUM of 1 month per size.

[Yes SiR]

Alright so I purchased some 16G tunnels online tonight since I couldn't find any/any ones that I liked in stores. Do I need to get a taper to get it to fit or could I squeeze it in my standard piercing?

Everyone's skin is going to be different. Before I stretched mine, if I didn't wear earrings for a day, I'd have a lot of trouble getting a standard post in, and I've had my ears pierced for well over 20 years. Getting the 16g in was difficult for me. Now I'm at a 0g on the bottom and 6g on the top and before I stretched, I'd take a hot shower and massage my lobes. Some KY or even a little vaseline would help ease them in if there is any resistance. Good luck.

[Elliott18t]

Standard lobes are 18g.

18 to 16 is so small of a change, you most likely will not feel anything, unless your piercings are new. You should leave new piercings alone for about 1.5 months or so. Stretches should be spaced out at a MINIMUM of 1 month per size.

i used to sell tunnels and tapers etc, and people would used to always want to do it fast and it would piss me off. Of course, i would tell them that it was a stupid idea..

took GF 3 years to get to 1"3/8..

[99SL2_Modder]

i used to sell tunnels and tapers etc, and people would used to always want to do it fast and it would piss me off. Of course, i would tell them that it was a stupid idea..

took GF 3 years to get to 1"3/8..

Over a year for me to get to 2g. :p

I went fast too fast from 6 to 4, or maybe 8 to 6. Can't remember. All I know is when I went to do cleaning, I found cat-assing, so I pulled my earrings and wore 10's for awhile while using...something? Tea tree oil? to help it heal. Then went back up slower.

I say a minimum of a month, but that's based on the elasticity of your skin, and how fast you heal. I have issues with waking up and finding my earrings on the pillow. At 4g, I kept finding the horshoes (beads still attached) on my pillows. One of my 2g tunnels already did it too.

Hell, I had my 14g industrial in for over a year, and slept with it out for 1 night, woke up, and I couldn't put it back in. Had to go back to the piercer and have them throw a taper in to get the holes big enough.

[CANNIBALOFDOOM]

i used to have 1" and took them out about 6 yrs ago and my ears have always been around a zero gauge since then anyways barly got some 0 gauges in and 4 days later putting in 1/2". I had a girl pierce my ear with a needle put a reg earing in for about 2 days and then put a 8 gauge taper in about 2 months later i used a 0 gauge taper and then just played with it till it got to an inch. Going really small moves is pointless and as long as u do it correctly going larger is def a smarter and better choice.

[99SL2_Modder]

Going really small moves is pointless

No, it's not.